Newcastle face four way fight for Austrian star

Newcastle will face competition from Stuttgart, Fiorentina and Inter Milan to sign Austria international Aleksandar Dragovic, according to sources in Switzerland.

The 21-year-old came through the ranks at Austria Wien before earning a move to Basel in February 2011.

He has gone from strength to strength in the Swiss League - he featured twice against Manchester United in the Champions League last season - and has attracted admiring glances from several sides across the continent.

The centre-back, who is of Serbian descent, is valued at £5.5m, but Newcastle boss Alan Pardew will have to act fast to secure his signature as Inter Milan, Fiorentina and Stuttgart are all looking to tempt the 21-year-old away from the Swiss champions.